Basic Sock Construction

This is meant to go with the pattern for North Country Cotton Baby Socks

but hopefully will give a visual that can help you along with any sock pattern. 

Basically jump in, follow the instructions word for word and if it is well written you should be good to go. :)

Cuff:

Leg or Knit 3 rows:

Heel Flap:

Repeat Row 1 of this repeat:

Turn the Heel, step by step:

Row 1: Slip 1, P&, P2 tog,    now turn knitting around.

it will then look like this:  You have 9 stitches on one side and 2 on the other. 

Row 2:

  Now notice.  I just did the K2tog and am ready to turn. 

See the two stitches on the left.  Of the 8 stitches on the right they are grouped a bit as 6 and 2.   (Total stitches are 8 on the right, 2 on the left.)

Here is another view of the same row (Row 2):   

Row 3:  When you turn it over you will Slip1, purl to one stitch before that gap, then P2tog.  See the Purl right up to the stitch before the gap: (Hope that's not too dark.) 

Now Purl these two together:  Row 3 done, now turn.

Row 4:  Slip 1, Knit back to the gap:

K2 Together: And turn. Row 4 done

Repeat row 3: . 

 You can't really see the gap but you can probably see the blue and orange stitch that were knit 2 together in the last row.  Purl the remaining 2 stitches together and turn.

   Repeat Row 3 finished. 

Note:  Check it out, your heel should be almost done.

Barely see the gap between the pink stitches and the yellow one?  This  is going to be the last slip 1, Knit to the last turn and K2tog leaving you with the 6 stitches.

Repeat Row 4:   Slip 1, Knit to 1stitch before the gap then K2tog.  6 stitches left. 

Can you kind of see the little cup?  It is smaller on a baby sock.  But it is the newly turned heel: 

Pick up and knit stitches for the gusset. 

I may not do this correctly, but I wear my socks so here it goes.  I magic loop but I did this step with a double point so it was easier to see.

Now Knit across the instep. Nothing special 2 stitches to finish. 

Pick up and knit last side: This now looks like a bit of a square. 

Now knit a round and then prepare to do the decreases.

  8 picked up stitches and 3 from the turned heel on each side.  A couple other examples:

After a decrease and a knit row:

Continue alternating a decrease row and a knit row.  Then knit the foot and decrease for the toe.

The rest I think is pretty obvious up to the Kitchner Stitch.  I'll try to add that sometime. 

(I've done some editing.  I hope I kept everything lined up well enough, didn't past anything with the wrong pix, etc.  Someday I'll try to get help with better pix and formatting.  Till then, let me know if you have any questions.